The Secretary of State has now however passed the responsibility of the final decision back to district councillors.

District councillors at East Lindsey said they would not defend their reasons for refusing the application at the hearing.

Co-financed by the European Union, the link would see a 473-mile long electricity interconnector between Bicker Fen near Boston and the substation Revsing in southern Jutland, Denmark.

The proposals come as a partnership between the National Grid and Danish firm Energinet.

Electricity would pass through cables under the North Sea, arriving on the Lincolnshire coast next to Sandilands Golf Club south of Sutton on Sea in East Lindsey.

Underground cables passing through the districts of East Lindsey, Boston, North Kesteven and South Holland would carry the electricity around 41 miles to a new converter station before it is connected to the existing National Grid substation.